Yamaha GL1 Guitalele, Natural, Baritone

69 year old guitar hack here. Played electric, and some acoustic guitar in three bands way back in the 1970's. Played acoustic at a wedding. My neighbor bought a Yamaha GL-1 "guitalele" A few years ago, and told me recently that he loves it! A GL-1 is basically a very compact 6 string classical guitar, but, instead of being tuned Eadgbe, it is tuned 5 frets up on each string, so the low and high e's become a's. This means that all the chord shapes I know on a regular guitar can be played in the same positions, but the name of the chord will be different. Example, an e major chord shape on a guitar, will really be an a major on the Yamaha. If I am just playing by myself for myself, there is no problem. If I was to play along with a regular guitar, we would have to work out what key to play in. Also, if I sing and play, then depending on what key I play in, I would have to sing in higher notes. This thing came quicky to me in Hawaii, and it is in perfect condition! Since it had nylon/classical type strings, it is going to take much longer for the strings to settle down and stop sretching. Way longer than my steel stringers. So, don't write a review after a few days complaining about this. All classical style nylon string guitars do this! Pick it up,tune it, play it, and keep tuning it. The tuners on mine seem just fine. It is a total blast for me to play. It sounds great, especially for the small body size. It has very good volume and sustain too. A bit stingy on the fret markers, both on the fingerboard and side of the neck. If you have big fingers, some chording might be a bit crowded. It doesn't have a truss rod. But, many classical guitars and many other guitaleles don't have them either. I have yet to read a review, or watch a video review, where the owner had a neck warp. In short, I should have bought one of these long ago. Update after more than a year now. I still love this little 6 stringer! I have been selling some of my amps and ukes etc. I had considered selling my Yamaha, but cannot do it! It is just such a great insrument. Mine is still perfect. Drawbacks? Few. The 17" scale is a bit tight for me. One string started unravelling after not too much playing. I was able to buy the one string and replaced it. I read a review somewhere where the writer returned his due to various flaws. Looking at mine it's hard to believe. I think Yamaha should make an option of the GL-1 that would come with an under saddle pickup with tuner and volume/tone controls. Great price, great instrument, great FUN!! 2/28/2025 update: Just wanted to say my estimation of this instrument has gone up if anything. I am taking super good care of it. It us holding up great. I had one of the wound strings start to unravel early and replaced it. Zero problems. After break in it holds tune as good or better than my other string instruments. That alone is saying a lot. The climate here in the Puna District on the big island plays he'll with stringed instruments. Most go sharp sitting overnight, and flat sitting during the day. This little guy is built very well. I wish it had come with an active pickup with tuned and equalizer, but it's still a keeper!

This is THE starter guitar. Can be tuned to E-Standard with high tension strings (I love D'addario xtc46ff). Every school across the country should have a set of these in their music room. Anyone who hates the bulk of a full size guitar, the early pain of metal strings, or the poor quality of cheap guitars, this is the answer. The finish is not perfect, but the intonation is great. The lack of a truss rod means the neck is a tad thick for its size, however, this (thick neck) is an advantage for adult hands and reduces the neck dive you'd see in small guitars like this. If you are having trouble with tuning, ensure the saddle is in the properly centered as it's held down by the strings in its slot and not actually attached to the guitar which allows you to upgrade or modify it in the future if you see fit. The strings are tied on, but the bridge will be fine with ball-ends, at least in E-Standard; they may leave indents, but I never lost confidence in the structure. The tuning machines take a light touch but are certainly functional and precise. The gig bag is a gig bag, I don't typically use it.

Well-made, great quality, great sound. Bought this for a 6 year old to start guitar lessons. Initial tuning is taking a while for the factory strings to settle, but I may replace them soon anyway. It is very fun to play, as a guitar player who is not accustomed to ukelele.

Very well made and simple. The GL-1 has okay sound quality. Not as good as my Horse Baritone Uke. The small scale makes some chords difficult for finger placement. It is a good value for the money. The gig bag is an afterthought with no padding or exteranl pockets.

This is fantastic, the smaller size makes it easy to take with you, my grandson loved this! Five string guitar, compact size. Perfect for practicing and learning.

This little guy is so much fun! I love playing the ukulele, but sometimes it can be a little frustrating. With only four strings, uke chords often end up in awkward inversions, having a chord tone other than the tonic as the lowest note. By adding two strings to the bass side, you can always have the inversion you want. For uke players the chords will be a little more complex with two additional strings to deal with. Also, in strumming the "uke sound" you'll need to get the hang of not hitting the bottom two strings. But it's all worth the effort and makes for a more "musically complete" sound. For uke players aspiring to play guitar, this is a great bridge. I think guitarists will find it fun as well. The chords are all familiar but will sound a fourth up. Guitarists who are familiar with using a capo won't have any problem with this. Videos online show how to restring the instrument so it can play down in guitar range, but I think it's more fun as a "super uke!" I like the sunburst style and mahogany back and sides. It has a nice, warm uke-y tone. I'm glad I got it!

中古品「非常に良い」で セールで8200円で買いました！ リサイクルショップで売っててもこの値段は絶対値付けるでしょう！ まず大前提でYAMAHAということもあり すごく凄く弾きやすいです！ 弦高も高くなく弾きやすいですね、 気分でポロッと弾くのにはちょうどいいです！ ソフトケースもめちゃくちゃしっかりしてます！ このレビュー見たなら買うしかないでしょう！

Bought this guitalele and my expectations were justified. It very comfortable small guitar for travel and training for me. Sound very good: include all frets and play chords. My variant has few scratches but for me it is not a problem and I think in common quality is good. Also it has good price. When I use it tune it to E (recommended A) and it’s sound good, string tension also normal with it.

What I received is very good product, tuning & intonation is perfect, very good for beginners, sound is good, weight is light, easy to carry, you can get ukele in lesser price, but here you get all 6 strings with the sound of ukelele(almost) so, this is value for money.

Super soddisfatta. Suona che è una meraviglia e ci sta in valigia. Qualità Yamaha

Excelente producto, lo recomiendo, buen sonido y cómodo.